Heart
A variety of left ventricular assist devices, or LVADs, are on the market for
aiding patients with ailing hearts. Surgically implanted beside the patient's
heart, these take over pumping for the left ventricle. Human trials will begin
shortly on a new total artificial heart. (7) And a consortium of researchers
hopes to bioengineer a human heart (and other vital organs) within ten years,
potentially doing away with mechanical devices altogether. (14)